Princess Cruises Announces 2020-2021 Caribbean & Panama Canal Seasons Featuring Newest Ships

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Princess Cruises guests sailing to the islands of the Caribbean or the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal now have a variety of itineraries and cruise ships to choose from with the announcement of the cruise line's fall 2020 to spring 2021 cruise season, open for sale May 9, 2019.

Caribbean 2020-2021
A total of five ships will offer cruisers a choice of 127 departures on 15 unique itineraries, ranging in length from four to 20 days, taking guests to 24 cruise destinations in 20 countries in the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean.

Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Enchanted Princess, and Sky Princess are Princess MedallionClass™ ships. Powered by OceanMedallion, the most advanced wearable device in the global hospitality industry, these ships deliver a hassle-free, personalized vacation that gives guests more time to enjoy what they love most about cruising.  Each cruise ship will also feature MedallionNet, the best Wi-Fi at sea offering fast, affordable, reliable and unlimited internet service to stream shows, post photos and video chat.

"Our 2020-21 Caribbean cruise season offers both the best experiences ashore and onboard," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. "With four hips, including our newest Enchanted Princess and Sky Princess, offering our highly-desired Princess MedallionClass experience, guests will find an enhanced level of service and ease onboard. This, combined with the sun-drenched beaches and diverse cultures of the Caribbean, offers our guests various itinerary options to experience this popular destination."

Enchanted Princess, makes her North American debut in Ft. Lauderdale on November 21, 2020 sailing on 21 alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises through April 10, 2021. Sky Princess, launching in October 2019, will sail for the first time on the cruise line's popular 10-day Southern Caribbean Voyager itinerary, which can be combined for a 20-day Caribbean Explorer cruise. Guests can choose from 17 Sky Princess voyages from November 5, 2020 to March 30, 2021.  

Additional itinerary highlights for the fall 2020 - spring 2021 Caribbean season include:

• Offered onboard Caribbean Princess and Enchanted Princess, all seven-day Eastern Caribbean voyages depart on either Saturday or Sunday and visit St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Princess Cays.
• All seven-day Caribbean Princess and Enchanted Princess Western Caribbean cruises leave on either Saturday or Sunday with port calls in Grand Cayman and Cozumel, with options including Roatan, Costa Maya or Belize City or Jamaica and Princess Cays.
• Longer and more destination-rich itineraries to the Southern Caribbean aboard Crown Princess and Island Princess featuring 14-day cruises with port stops in Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Vincent, Barbados, Trinidad, Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao. 
• Princess Cruises visits several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Belize Barrier Reef System, The Pitons Volcanic Spires in St. Lucia and historical Bridgetown in Barbados.
• Calls to the award-winning Princess Cays on all seven-day voyages, featuring MedallionNet on the island to stay connected.
• Holiday sailings over Christmas and New Year's offered on four ships: Caribbean Princess, Enchanted Princess, Island Princess and Sky Princess.
• Five ports with late-night calls, including St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Cozumel, Aruba and Curacao.

The cruise line's "Rhythm of the Caribbean," is an immersive onboard offering that celebrates the lively spirit of the islands through enticing cuisine, signature cocktails, exhilarating entertainment, and authentic regional experiences, bringing the destination to life while at sea. In addition, Discovery at SEA offerings include Stargazing at Sea, Shark Week and Mythbusters activities and more. Plus, the cruise line offers Animal Planet and Discovery recommended shore excursions in every port.

Panama Canal 2020-2021
Princess Cruises was the first cruise line to take passengers through the Panama Canal locks in 1967 and Caribbean Princess was the first large cruise ship to sail through the new Agua Clara locks in fall 2017.

For the upcoming 2020-2021 season, five ships will sail the waters of the Panama Canal, with 30 departures and nine unique itineraries, offering three ways to experience this epic destination – roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, roundtrip from Los Angeles or sailing between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Voyages range from 10 to 21 days, visiting a total of 23 destinations in 11 countries. New for this season, two 15-day ocean-to-ocean voyages are offered sailing between Ft. Lauderdale and the new homeport of San Diego and Crown Princess sails on 10-day cruises roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale.

"We take more guests through the Panama Canal each year than any other cruise line and we're also the only line to offer a full season of voyages from fall through spring, which is the best time to experience this tropical climate," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. "Our upcoming 2020-21 season offers many options for our guests to experience this bucket-list destination – a place best seen from a cruise ship."

Additional highlights of the September 2020 - April 2021 Panama Canal season include:

• Five ships: Coral Princess, Crown Princess (MedallionClass), Emerald Princess, Island Princess and Pacific Princess
• Four homeports: Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco
• Sailing to the Panama Canal through the new Agua Clara Locks, Crown Princess and Emerald Princess offer partial Canal transits from the Atlantic Ocean roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale with Costa Rica and Caribbean voyages.
• Coral Princess and Emerald Princess will sail full transit 15-day cruises between Ft. Lauderdale and Los Angeles. In addition Emerald Princess will offer departures between Ft. Lauderdale and San Francisco or San Diego.
• Island Princess will offer two 14-day Panama Canal sailings as part of her 2021 World Cruise.
• Pacific Princess is scheduled to sail on a 15-day Panama Canal Connoisseur sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles for a small ship transit via the Panama Canal traditional locks.
• Coral Princess will offer a 19-day Panama Canal Pacific Adventure cruise, roundtrip from Los Angeles.

Princess Cruises is a recognized destination leader in the cruise industry, named "Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean" by U.S. News & World Report for 2015 and the cruise line's private beach in the Bahamas, Princess Cays, was ranked among the "Top Cruise Line Private Island Destinations" by Cruise Critic for 2017. More details about Princess Cruises offerings in the Caribbean can be found at www.princess.com/caribbean.

Captain's Circle Savings and Early Booking Deposit
Princess Cruises past guests are eligible for a special promotion when they book early with up to a $100 per person discount off the public fare. This can be combined with launch and group promotions. These discounts do not apply to third or fourth guests. Additionally, a reduced deposit is available for Captain Circle guests when they book by November 30, 2019.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at princess.com.

About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the fastest growing international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries." 

In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the OceanMedallion, the vacation industry's most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to a hassle-free, personalized vacation giving guests more time to do the things they love most. MedallionClass Vacations will be activated on five ships by the end of 2019. An activation plan will continue across the global fleet in 2020 and beyond.   

Princess Cruises continues its multi-year, "Come Back New Promise" – a $450 million-dollar product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance the line's onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments of awe, lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation. The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursions to onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and more. 

Three new Royal-class ships are currently on order with the next new ship under construction, Sky Princess, scheduled for delivery in October 2019, followed by Enchanted Princess in June 2020. Princess previously announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests are planned for delivery in 2023 and 2025.  Princess now has five ships arriving over the next six years between 2019 and 2025. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK). 

SOURCE Princess Cruises